Manned Aircraft Systems

The mount and camera are connected to, and remotely controlled by, a program running on a notebook computer. Flight and camera parameters entered by the computer’s operator determine the required forward motion compensation (FMC) and camera firing interval.

The system also takes data inputs from its integrated GPS receiver and the aircraft’s radar altimeter and will, optionally, use these data to automatically determine the required FMC and firing interval. The system includes a remote viewfinder that displays the image seen through the camera’s eyepiece on the computer screen to permit the computer operator to observe camera operation and ensure successful coverage of sites.

It also includes a data acquisition system that interfaces with the camera, GPS, radar altimeter, and computer to record position and altitude readings as each frame is collected.